Where We Work

Mwanza Region, Tanzania

Tanzania is a country in East Africa most famously known for Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti (the world’s second largest national park) and the Zanzibar Islands that lie in the Indian Ocean just off the East coast. The name of the country is a result of the unification of Tanganyika (the mainland) and the Zanzibar Islands, eventually blending to Tanzania in 1964, a combination of both names.

Mainsprings works in the Mwanza region of Tanzania. Regions are much like US states, but the city close to the Mainsprings’ campuses also carries the name of the region. Mwanza city is the second largest city in Tanzania and sits right on the southern shores of Lake Victoria. While Mwanza is a large region and city, it is extremely impoverished, especially in its rural areas.

More than 1/3 of the population lives in extreme poverty and earns less than $2 a day.

35% of children under age 5 are chronically malnourished.

There is only one doctor for every 33,000 people.

In Mainsprings’ region, there are more than 110 children per classroom in primary school and more than 5 children per desk.